Art, Ecological Restoration, and Art Education

Abstract

The authors of this paper aim to foster, among art educators and their students, an awareness of how many contemporary artists are promoting and facilitating ecological restoration. We ground the work of these artists historically and discuss their work as it promotes a view of humans as an interconnected part of nature as opposed to masters over nature. The artwork of Helen Harrison and Newton Harrison in Oregon is offered as a contemporary example to which art educators can refer as they involve their students in ecologically restorative projects. Additional suggestions are given for involving art educators and students in ecological theory and artistic creation.